South Korea retail sales up 7% in May

It was driven by a continued surge in online sales.

South Korea’s retail industry posted a 7% year-on-year growth in May 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The rise was driven by a continued surge in online sales and modest gains in offline retail.

Online sales soared by 13% percent compared to the same month last year, whilst offline sales inched up 0.9%, marking a return to growth for both hypermarkets and department stores since the Seollal holiday season in January.

Hypermarkets reported a slight increase of 0.2%, and department stores posted a 2.3% rise in sales, bolstered by strong demand for high-priced items and increased spending per customer visit.

SSMs continued their upward trend for the third consecutive month, growing 1% due to a steady influx of shoppers.

Meanwhile, convenience store sales edged down 0.2%.

Amongst offline categories, food products rose 1%, and luxury goods such as jewelry and watches jumped 8.1%. However, other segments struggled: home appliances and culture items fell 7.8%, kids and sports goods declined 2.5%, and fashion and miscellaneous items dropped 3.7%.

Online retail remained the primary growth engine, led by services (up 37.3%) and food products (up 18.2%). Demand for food delivery, e-coupons, travel packages, and cultural content helped fuel the gains.

However, not all sectors thrived online. Fashion and clothing sales declined 4.6%, whilst sports-related items plummeted 12.7%, extending their downward trend.

MOTIE’s figures are based on a survey of 23 major retailers, including 13 offline businesses—comprising department stores, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and super supermarkets (SSMs)—and 10 online platforms.